Wildcroft Cottage

Statement of Significance

The place has historic value for its long association with the resident families in particular the Armstrong family, and with the Yallingup area.

The place has strong social values for the manner in which the early settlers worked and socialised together, supporting each other in their efforts to survive and bring up their families.

Together the cottage and barn are a good intact example of farm buildings that were key elements in small family farms in the first half of the 20th century.

Physical Description

The buildings are of local organic and vernacular construction consistent with a simple structure from around the turn of the last century. They contains most of the original external features, although there has been some loss of detail, the underlying aesthetic and spatial qualities of the original designs remain intact.

Wildcroft Cottage consists of a hand-hewn slab house, of modest construction in rough-timbered vertical jarrah butt jointed planks, with a small section of horizontal weatherboards towards the rear of the structure, a gable infill on one side of corrugated iron sheeting and displaying an iron roof.

The barn is similarly constructed in rough-timbered vertical jarrah butt jointed planks in fair condition. The original structure is evident in the simple pitched roof at the centre of the building which is surrounded by later skillion roof additions.

History

In about 1890, James William Armstrong (1852- 1927) took up several parcels of land of approximately 1040 acres, that was originally Crown land in Yallingup. He built the family home on the land he called Springfield, which was named after a permanent spring located in the swamp. A cottage was built next to the swamp and constructed from
wattle and daub with a roof of paperbark. The family lived in this house for a number of years.

A barn was constructed a few years later in c1906 and the verandah was added about 1909 by James William and Alfred Thomas (Cedar) Armstrong. The structure was built using hand hewn timber, and the floor sleepers came from old Yelverton’s Mill. The materials in the barn comprise many salvage items including a door from the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. This door and one of the hand hewn slabs, has carving in it originating with the Armstrong family.

As a young man, Clarence James Armstrong (1888-1927) farmed Springfield with his father and supplied Caves House with wood, meat and vegetables. He pulled down the original home and built the cottage that stands today in 1916. Recent renovations to the back of the second house (c2019), unearthed newspaper remnants dating back to 1897.

In 1921, Clarence James [Jim] married Elizabeth Pierce from Kent in England and together they had a daughter, Enid. A tragedy saw Jim lose his life on 2 Nov 1927 aged 39, by drowning at Torpedo Rocks, Yallingup. After Jim’s death, Elizabeth set up ‘Springfield Tea Rooms’ on her property. Together with young daughter Enid, she set about selling morning and afternoon teas, light suppers, fresh fruit and cool drinks. From 1929, a Shell petrol bowser was installed at the front of the farm to supply passing motorists and gave service until 10pm, in order to help make ends meet.

After the death of her husband Elizabeth’s mother Ann Peirce, who had relocated to Western Australia in 1913, came to live with Elizabeth and Enid. In the 1940’s, during WW2 granddaughter June Henson lived there together with her brother Don, their mother Enid and grandmother Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sold the farm in 1959, when she moved to Busselton. New owners, David and Anna Nugent were not told the name of the farm at this time and chose to rename it Wildcroft, in line with the name of David’s parents farm. In 1963, David left the property and it transferred to Anna Nugent as sole proprietor. Anna sold the property soon after in 1964 to Alexander Graham Hemsley and on his death in 1971, probate saw the place transferred to Alexander’s widow Faith Irene Fuller (?) Hemsley in 1973.

Faith recalled the property to be approximately 1500 acres when they purchased it, and that the cottage at this point had no power and the property was still mostly uncleared. Alexander and Faith’s daughter Anne Evelyn and her husband Christopher Joseph Sargent took possession of Sussex Location 1346 in 1975 and lived in the cottage with
their four children for eight years.

In 1983, Elspeth Rankin Jodrell from Mount Pleasant, purchased the property from Anne and Christopher Sargent. Springfield was now known as Lot 6 Caves Road and consisted of just under 38 acres, which had been divided from the remainder of the land.

The current owners purchased the property in 2017 and in 2019 undertook sensitive restoration of the cottage to retain its original form and fabric where possible.

Integrity/Authenticity

High Degree/High Degree
Integrity Notes: The place retains a high degree of integrity. Authenticity Notes: The place retains a high degree of authenticity.

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.